


Grant Us Grace

by McShipIt



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst, Family Feels, First Kiss, Idiots in Love, M/M, Post-Season/Series 08 Finale, Teenage Drama, Teenage Rebellion, Underage Drinking, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-04
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-08-05 10:54:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16366517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/McShipIt/pseuds/McShipIt
Summary: In Simple Words: Five times Grace is a typical teenager & one time she's a bit more than that.Not So Simple Words: Steve wants nothing more than to be a part of Danny's life in every way. So, while Grace and Danny are at odds, Steve tries to ease the burden between father and daughter, only to realize he may have overstepped his boundaries.





	1. Full of Grace

**Author's Note:**

> (I missed Grace and Danny in S8, so this was my attempt to bring her back. Hopefully, we'll see her in S9!)

**Full of Grace**

* * *

 The timing isn’t right. It's the middle of the week, they're working two gruesome cases with long hours, clearly, he’s sleep deprived, but he’s on Danny’s doorstep because the timing will never be perfect. It's why it’s taken him eight years to get here. Over the last few months, things have changed between them, at least he’s convinced himself they have, and convinced himself that Danny feels the same way as Steve does, or he’s about to make a colossal mistake with this life altering decision.

Steve’s hand shakes as he knocks on Danny’s door. He’s done this a million times, and normally he would walk right in after one quick knock, but tonight he waits for the door to open. He waits with a sickening feeling in his stomach, threatening to rise and make a fool of himself all over Danny’s doorstep. Why he’s chosen tonight for his confession, he doesn’t know, but the wellness therapist told him to avoid stressful situations, and ignoring his feelings about Danny is as stressful as it comes.

The door opens while he’s smoothing down his jeans and button-down, plaid shirt. He lays on the biggest smile he can muster as he looks up to see...

“Grace!” he says, surprised by her appearance. He checked the calendar before he left his house. Danny doesn’t have the kids tonight, but here she is, standing in the doorway in her comfy clothes looking sullen and every bit the sixteen-year-old she is now.

“Hey,” she says, flat and without her usual enthusiasm. He misses the young girl who used to run into his arms screaming his name because she believed he was the man who hung the moon.

Grace pushes open the door, leaving him on the threshold before lifting her phone back up to her ear.

“It’s just my dad’s partner.” She leaves Steve, walking toward her bedroom, then firmly shuts her door.

Well, that was cold, he thinks. What happened to Uncle Steve?

Danny comes out of the kitchen, wringing his hands in a dishtowel.

“Hey,” he greets Steve, tossing the towel over his shoulder. He stands with his hands on his hips, staring at Grace’s closed door.

“Did I do something wrong?” Steve’s asks, shrugging his shoulders.

“No. No,” Danny says, still staring at her door. “You’re an adult and you exist, believe me, that’s enough.” He holds out his hands to encompass everything around him. “She no longer has time for anyone over the age of majority or anyone who doesn’t have a phone glued to their hand.”

“Wow,” Steve says, coming inside the house. “That sounds rough.”

“You have no idea. On the plus side, she’s fighting with Rachel, so Grace would rather stay with me. Actually,” Danny says, smiling, _“Rachel_ would rather she stay with me.” He laughs. “Who would’ve thought that day would come, huh? And who would’ve thought I'd second guess spending time with my own daughter?”

“That bad?” Steve says, rubbing a hand along his jaw.

“Worse. Grace has officially succumbed to one-word answers, and if I didn’t know how smart she is, I’d think something happened to rattle that big brain of hers.”

“I’m sorry, Danny. I should’ve called.” Steve hitches a thumb toward the door, feeling like he’s intruding for the first time in years. He sets down the beer he brought and turns to leave.

“Whoa. Where you going?”

“I’ll leave you two to—”

“To what? Stare at closed doors? I said she’d rather stay with me. Doesn’t mean she wants to spend time with me. Come on.” Danny gestures for Steve to sit. “We can watch the game and annoy her some more. It’ll give me purpose.” Danny takes the beer from Steve, exchanging them for two cold ones in the fridge.

This isn’t the way he envisioned this evening, but he’s spending time with Danny, which is always a good thing. “You sure?”

“She’s fed and watered. My job is done for the night.”

Steve notices the lines around Danny’s eyes, they’re more pronounced as of late, and he wishes he could do something to relieve the heartache Danny is feeling. It was inevitable Grace would succumb to typical teen behavior, but all parents hope for better, and despite everything Danny has done to raise her with his love and protection, nothing could prepare him for the moodiness of a teenage girl.

“I never thought that contempt would be directed toward me,” Steve admits.

“Yeah, I thought that once, too. Welcome to my life. You’re officially part of the family. Rachel will be so happy it’s not just us.” Danny sits in the middle of the sofa, it’s not exactly a big sofa, so Steve has no choice but to sit next to him. Danny hands him his beer, flips off his slippers and puts his feet on the coffee table, nestling in beside Steve as he turns up the volume on the TV.

They are family, that isn’t anything new, but somehow in this context, it means more. He doesn’t want to jeopardize what he has with Danny, so maybe Grace being here is a blessing, and yet, as he takes the proffered beer from Danny and slides his arm along the back of the sofa, he wants nothing more than to pull Danny close until he’s resting against him. It’s natural for them to sit like this, except tonight, he doesn’t touch Danny like he normally would. It feels different, at least to him. The reprieve Grace has given Steve and his feelings, leaves him conflicted with emotions of relief and disappointment.

They sit this way through the first half, exchanging pleasantries, bashing the calls the linesman makes, and it’s business as usual for the two of them, except Steve can’t settle. He’s on edge like he shouldn’t be here, that he’s here for the wrong reasons and betraying Danny’s trust.

“Okay. What’s your problem?” Danny asks, taking a sip of his beer. He rests his hand on Steve’s fidgety leg to settle it from bouncing up and down. “Can’t be the case or cases. What else has you worked up?”

“What? I’m not. There’s nothing,” Steve says, mirroring his sip to avoid Danny’s eyes.

“You sure?” Danny sets his bottle down, then turns to get a better look at Steve, which pins his thigh against Danny’s leg all warm and hard.

“Yeah, why?” Steve resists the urge to pull away, or god help him, move closer.

“You, ah...you seem nervous about something.” Danny crosses his arms, licking his lips. “Like you want to ask me something I’m pretty sure I won’t like.”

“What makes you say that?” Steve furrows his brow and tries not to stare at Danny's mouth.

“Because I know you, you animal. And your face has been pinched since you got here, like you need to drop a deuce, which means you’re working up to something you don’t want to do.”

“It is not.” Steve rears back, indignant by the implication. “And don’t be crude. There is no face.”

“Yes, there is. What happened?”

“No, there isn’t. And nothing happened.”

Their arguing gets louder, both trying to talk over one another and declare their verity, enough so they’re shouting over the TV and Steve’s not even sure why or what they’re arguing about until the door to Grace’s bedroom pops open.

“Oh, my, God!” she says, phone in her hand. “I’m trying to study!”

Steve and Danny go silent, looking from Grace to one another. Danny gives Steve a quick smile, then winks before turning to face her. “Huh,” he says, pointing to her phone. “Doesn’t look like you’re studying, looks like you’re on your phone.”

“We’re doing homework, and I can’t hear myself talk over the two of you.”

“I thought kids didn’t speak on the phone anymore. I thought it was all chatsnap and texts,” Danny says, purposely calling it the wrong thing to push her buttons, because Danny knows all about that app, he talks about it incessantly and his disapproval of it.

“I think it’s SnapChat, Danny,” Steve pipes up just to play along.

“SnapChat?” Danny says, looking to argue. “That doesn’t sound right. You sure, babe?”

“You two are so annoying!” Grace says, and Steve swears she wants to stomp her foot, but she doesn’t.

“I beg your pardon, young lady?” And this time Danny’s voice carries an edge that both Steve and Grace know when she’s pushed too far.

“I’m sorry. It’s just that we’re trying to get some homework done and we can’t concentrate with you two doing your usual, you know.” She rolls her eyes and her head at the same time. It’s rather impressive and so much like her dad.

“We?”

“I’m talking to Will.” Grace holds up the screen and Will’s face appears, smiling sheepishly.

‘Hey, Mr. Williams, Commander McGarrett,’ he says with a little wave.

“Can’t you just watch the game in your bedroom or something?” Grace asks, and her tone is full of insinuations that it makes Steve’s chest tight and his face flush with heat. He hopes he hasn’t gone red with how casually she suggested the two of them move this to Danny’s bedroom. He's never been on this side of Grace's discord and it's a little unsettling.

Danny must be used to it, though, because he takes a deep breath, holds it in for a count of three, and then slowly stands, reaching for Grace’s phone. Steve knows from the set in Danny’s jaw and the line of his shoulders that Grace’s petulant behavior will not go unaddressed, especially in front of her boyfriend, even if it is only Will.

“Hello, Will,” Danny says to the screen. “Bye, Will.” He disconnects the call and Grace’s mouth hangs open. Her eyes narrow, and Steve recognizes the Williams’ temper that is about to blow.

“I’m going to go...” This time, Steve hastily makes his way to the door knowing there’s about to be an epic family meltdown, and he shouldn't stick around for it.

He escapes as Danny begins, and as he stands in the cool night air on the other side of the door, listening to Danny yell about respect, or lack thereof, in front of company, Grace shouts back that Steve isn’t ‘company.’ Surprisingly, it still hurts that she’s dropped the ‘uncle,’ but at the same time he’s pleased she doesn’t think of him as a guest.

Breathing in, he smells the plumeria Danny is growing in the yard. Apart from the ocean, it’s the most quintessential smell associated with Hawaii, and he wonders when he had it planted because it wasn’t there when he moved into the house.

He doesn’t like to think about a life without Danny in it. Steve never would’ve stayed on the Island if they hadn’t met and formed their partnership. His happiness and his good fortune are inexplicably tied to Danny, so much, that he’s become an integral part of who Steve is. He can’t help but want more, though. He wants to be in that room involved in the discussion with Grace. He wants to back either of them up in a way only a parent can, offering support to Danny and maybe some leniency to Grace. He wants it all, and until tonight, he didn’t realize how much he did. Perhaps, once they solve the cases, Steve will rethink his plan of attack, and get the courage to try his confession again, but he’s starting to think he’s destined to have Danny within arm’s reach and never closer than that.


	2. Return to Grace

**Return to Grace**

* * *

It's Friday, so Steve volunteers to grab Grace while Danny picks up Charlie. Danny questions it, of course, but a quick mention of how Steve misses Grace, misses their time together, which is true, just not the whole truth, and Danny is more than happy to have a break from his sullen daughter.

It’s been a month since the epic showdown between the two Williams’, a month since Steve was about to lay his heart on the line, and apart from the icy exchanges between father and daughter, nothing has changed, and he’s still too chicken to do anything about it. The only thing he can do is help to lessen the stress between Grace and Danny, and on this occasion, he’s agreed to fall on the sword, rather than Lou. It’s not that Steve wants to interfere, it's not really his place, but maybe, by speaking with Grace without involving Danny, he can save the team some animosity.

Steve parks the truck near Grace’s school, waiting for her to meet him outside. He has a flashback of Grace in pigtails and the way she would squeal his name, hopping down the steps to then jump in his arms. It doesn’t seem that long ago to him, but she’s not that little girl anymore, and he’s aware of that when he catches sight of her coming out of the school doors. She’s more of a young woman with her lean look and the touch of makeup Rachel and Danny let her get away with, and he wonders when she grew up under his nose.

Grace sees Steve and he holds out for that brilliant smile of hers, but all he gets is a wave as she says goodbye to her friends.

“Hey, Gracie,” he says, smiling for the both of them.

“Hey.” She doesn't hug him, just heads to the passenger side of the truck with her thumbs busy texting on her phone.

He’s not going to get upset, she's a teenager and this is what they do, at least that's what he hears all of the time from Lou and Danny.

“How about some shave ice?” Steve asks.

“Why? Where’s Danno?”

“Your dad’s picking up Charlie and they’re going to meet us at the beach.” Steve shrugs. “I wanted to spend some time with my favorite girl.”

“I'm not a kid anymore. You know that, right?”

And boy, does he ever.

“I know, I just miss you. That's all, Grace.”

“Fine,” she says, staring out the side window, which is an improvement from her head buried in her phone.

As he pulls into traffic, he asks about her day and other things happening in her life. Her one-word responses are killing him, because this was a kid who used to talk more than Danny, and now she can't string a sentence together for him.

They don't have much to say in the way of conversation, so they ride in silence until he parks the truck near the beach. He hesitates, rethinking his approach and whether he should just leave this to Danny and Rachel. It's not up to him to address her behavior, but if he can save Danny some heartache, he’ll do it.

“We going?” she asks, hand on the door.

“Yeah!” He smiles, grabbing his wallet out of the console. “What flavor you want?”

“Pineapple,” they say at the same time and for a moment his heart is full when they laugh together. This is the Grace he loves and remembers.

He puts his arm around her shoulder, leading her toward the stand, and he's surprised she lets him. They get their orders and sit on a bench near the beach, sucking on their treats for a few minutes, enjoying the people watching and pointing out the good waves. It's times like this he wishes for Kono’s wisdom and grace. She would be the best person to discuss this with her, the absolute best considering what she's been doing for the last six months.

“It's the perfect day for a surf,” Steve says.

“Auntie Kono would love it.” Her mention of Kono has him thinking they're on the same wavelength, pun intended.

“You heard from her?” he asks.

“Not lately,” she says, and he hears the sadness in her voice. The two had been close through the years, sharing a love of the water and he’s never thought how Chin and Kono's absence would affect Grace.

“You know what she's doing is really important, right?”

“Yeah, Danno told me.”

“Did he tell you about the girls she saved here on the island?”

“Not really.”

It’s probably not his place to talk about it, but they’re here now, and he thinks about what Kono is going through, and how important the work she’s doing is. Maybe Grace should know more of the truth.

“They were about your age, or not much older when they trusted the wrong person, someone they thought was their friend. They were taken, Grace, against their will and made to do things no girl your age, or any woman for that matter, should ever experience.” He takes a deep breath, before looking at her. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Grace shrugs. “I know about human trafficking. We talked about it in school.”

The curriculum in high school is rather progressive, Steve thinks. When he was Grace’s age, the only thing he had to worry about was preparing for a Friday night football game. Then again, he didn’t a have phone and social media accounts to contend with that could reach out to thousands of people around the world. He doesn’t want to scare her about the questionable pictures she’s been posting online, that wouldn’t be helpful, and it’s unrealistic to think that posting a photo will lead to trafficking. He knows this, and why he wishes Kono were here. She could teach her about her self-worth, and show her what true empowerment is. Grace is better than how she’s acting online.

“Grace,” Steve takes a deep breath, “I saw some things posted on one of your accounts that has me concerned.”

He watches the look of shock cross her expression, and the anger that follows is so clearly Danny he wants to get defensive by instinct.

“Who showed you? Will?” She clenches her jaw, but he catches the flush of pink on her cheeks.

“It wasn’t Will.” He’s not lying, because it wasn’t Will, it was Lou, but she doesn’t need to know that. “The fact that I did see the photos, maybe means what you think is private isn’t all that private.”

“Oh, my god.” Grace rolls her eyes.  “You’re overreacting. They’re just photos. Everyone does them.”

“Are they really what you want people to see? What do you think they communicate about yourself?” Steve’s heart is racing, and he’s just as embarrassed talking about the half-naked photos of Grace in her underwear as she is—at least he hopes so.

“Does Danno know?”

“Not from me,” Steve says.

“Are you going to tell him?”

“That depends on you. I’m not saying you have to tell him, and I’m not going to tell you what to do. That’s not why I wanted to talk with you.”

She’s gone quiet and won't look at him, but he's no stranger to her reaction. When things get serious, Danny Williams goes silent, like the calm before a storm and being in the Navy for all those years, Steve has seen a lot of wicked storms to know when the worst ones are about to happen.

“I want to know if you’re okay,” Steve says to temper the waters. “That's all.” She plays with the cup of ice, focused on it like she hasn't heard him, but a glance at her trembling lip tells him she has. “You know I love you, Grace. You have so many people who love you. Any of us are here whenever you need us. And that means to talk, as well. If you can't talk to your parents, you can talk to me and if you're uncomfortable talking with me, we'll find someone you can.”

“You wouldn't understand.” Her voice sounds broken, and he's flooded with guilt. He never meant to make her cry, that was not his objective. He wants her to feel safe, like she can come to him without worrying about consequences.

“You're right,” he says, sliding closer to her so he's inches away. “I probably wouldn't. My social skills are pretty limited. No emojis or Snapchat for me. I'm more of a...” He tries to think of the best way to describe what he is.

“A guns and ammo kind of guy?”

Steve laughs, nudging her shoulder and he's relieved they're joking. “You sound like Danno. It's a little scary.”

She groans. “Mom says the same thing.”

“That’s not so bad...taking after your dad,” Steve lays his arm along the back of the bench. It’s the closest he can get to putting his arm around her without pushing her. “He’s one of the best I know. You’re a lot like him.” He leaves it hanging, the implication that what she’s been doing is out of character for her.

“It's just some stupid photos,” she says. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

“Then why do it at all?”

Her only answer is a shrug as she picks at the hem of her uniform skirt.

He has questions, so many things he doesn’t understand. He's the first to admit he’s out of touch with what adolescence is about these days. His own experience was cut short when Doris faked her death, but he understands peer pressure and definitely knows what it’s like to try to fit in when everything screams at you otherwise.

“You're better than that, Grace. Your mom and dad raised you better.” He realizes it's a mistake as soon as the words leave his mouth. It's exactly what the pamphlets told him not to do, that he shouldn't be judgmental, only supportive.

Grace slams her cup down. “You don't know what’s going on. You think you know but you don't.”

“Then tell me. I want to help.”

“You can’t.” She turns away from him, but not before he sees the tears slide down her cheeks.

“I'm listening, okay, Grace? I'm listening. Whatever you need, I will always be here for you.”

“But you won't,” she says, shoving her face in her hands.

“What do you mean?” His throat tightens, and every bad decision he's ever made that has risked his and Danny's lives, comes rushing at him. Grace is still a kid, she’s not supposed to worry about things like that. His chest feels heavy with a weight he's never known.

They hear the tell-tale sound of the Camaro’s engine before they see it pulling into the parking lot. Steve curses the timing, watches the progress he's made with Grace disappear. She wipes away her tears, and he wants to pull her into his arms, but he can read the signals she's giving, and she does not want that kind of comfort right now, not when it would raise too many questions with her dad.

“Are you going to tell Danno?” she asks.

He should say yes, he knows that he shouldn't keep this from Danny, but the trust he has with Grace is fragile, and she's right, it's just some photos. As long as she doesn't continue to do it, he’ll keep this to himself, and hopefully, she’ll come to him if she needs to.

“No,” Steve says, rubbing a hand over his face. “I said I wouldn’t, and I won't.”

He wants to say more, reassure her with more than simple words, but before he can, Charlie is running toward them, calling out his name.

“Uncle Steve! Uncle Steve!”

He runs like a wild chicken, waving his arms and Steve knows what to expect, so he braces and waits for Charlie to launch himself into his arms. Grace used to do this, too. He catches her eyes over the top of Charlie's head and sees a glimpse of regret and perhaps longing before she huffs, rolling her eyes as she digs out her phone from her pocket.

He gives Grace one last look, feeling his own regret, and wonders if all Grace needs is to be swept up in someone's arms and held until her troubles drift away along the ocean waves. He doesn't know how to help her, to reach her and he probably shouldn't have tried. He's not her father or any relation to her. He’s good at many things, but he should leave this parenting stuff to Danny. He's just not cut out for it.

“Danno says we're going to your place for a swim,” Charlie says with a large toothless grin.

“He did?” Steve says, ruffling Charlie's hair. “Did he also mention a barbecue? And maybe some ice cream if you eat all your dinner?”

Charlie pumps a fist in victory, looking for his dad. “Danno, I'll eat it all.”

“Okay, monkey,” Danny says as he strolls up beside them. “Give Uncle Steve's back a break and stand on your own two feet.”

“I thought I was your monkey?” Grace says, and her voice is so full of contempt Danny's head snaps back in surprise. He turns to Steve, eyebrows raised, silently asking what the hell is wrong with his daughter. He doesn’t need words with Danny, he just gives him a slight shake of his head that lets Danny know Grace needs his love right now, and without judgment.

“Of course you are,” Danny says. “I didn't mean it like that, it kind of slipped out because your brother was climbing up this tall tree that is Steven like he was a monkey.” Danny puts his arm around Grace, kissing her temple. “You'll always be my monkey, Monkey.”

“What am I, Danno?” Charlie asks, too young to understand what is really happening.

“Ah,” Danny stumbles, his arm still around Grace. “That's a good question.” He looks to Steve for help because the tension is taught on the beach, hanging by a thread where Grace is concerned.

“How about,” Steve shifts Charlie to his hip, and flexes his bicep. “Champ? You look like a champion to me.” Steve tickles him until Charlie squirms out of his arms. Charlie flexes like Steve, and it’s enough to warm the chill in the air between Grace and the two of them.

“Hey, now,” Danny says. “Don't go getting any ideas, there, _Champ._ Uncle Steve is not the role model I intend you to take after.”

Ain't that the truth. The warmth leaves Steve as quick as it came.

Danny notices, and tries to make light of his words that have clearly affected Steve more than he intended. “I want you to live a long, healthy, unbruised and unbroken life,” he says. “But if you eat your veggies and drink your milk, you might get as big and strong as this behemoth, all right?”

“Ice cream for dessert!”

“Yes. Yes, ice cream.” Danny waves him off, leading Grace toward the car. He asks her if she’s okay, and with a quick glance at Steve, she says she's fine, that she has a lot of homework to do this weekend. It's the oldest excuse in the teen book, but to keep the temporary peace, Danny says they'll leave her alone and call her when dinner is ready. He silently questions Steve with his eyes but doesn’t say anything further.

Steve should’ve left this to him. As much as he wants this life with Danny, it’s not his and he can’t try to steal it as his own.


	3. State of Grace

**State of Grace**

* * *

Danny walks through the glass doors, arms wide as he makes his way to the bullpen. “My baby girl is gone.”

“What?” Steve juggles his phone, almost dropping it on the computer table. “What happened?”

“My Grace face, my little monkey, is no longer. That’s what’s happened.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Rachel called last night,” Danny says, his hands animated with the presentation he’s about to make. Steve masks his expression at the mention of Rachel and how Danny and Rachel seem to be spending more time together now that her divorce is moving ahead. Danny's just being Danny, offering his support through this difficult time for her—at least that's what Steve tells himself every time Danny jumps at her beck and call.

“Apparently she had ‘the talk’ with Grace.”

“What talk?” Steve holds his breath, wondering if it’s the talk where they tell Grace they're giving their marriage another go.

“What talk.” Danny shoots him an incredulous look. “ _The_ talk. You know, men and women...”

He’s not sure if Danny is serious, but he tries not to laugh with relief. Grace is sixteen which means she’s had sex education in school already, and he’s doubtful Rachel has left that important talk until now. He humors Danny anyway.

“Oh! The _talk_.” He shakes his head with the appropriate disgusted response Danny is expecting.

“Yes. And Rachel is taking her to the Women’s Clinic to get her birth control.”

“Oh,” Steve says, and now his repulsion is genuine. The last thing he wants to know is that his Gracie is having sex, so he understands Danny’s over-the-top reaction.

“Yeah, my little girl is—or wants to—have sex. And you know who I blame?” Danny purses his lips, looking around the room. His face is a shade of red that has Steve concerned about his blood pressure.

“Grover. Where is he?” Danny’s eyes narrow in on the offices, hoping to find someone to direct his anger toward. “Lou!” Danny yells at the top of his lungs, which brings Tani forth from the kitchen.

“He’s not here, Danny,” Steve says, and thank god, he isn’t. When it comes to his children, Danny is never rational.

“He took Junes with him to check out a lead,” Tani adds around a mouthful of malasada.

“Well, he has a lot to answer for, him and his offspring. My girl is not having sex with his son. No. It’s not going to happen.”

“You don’t know that they are,” Steve says.

“I don’t? Then why else would she want birth control?”

“There are a lot of reasons.” Tani shrugs, licking the sugar off her fingers. “Surely, as a man of the twenty-first century, you know this. I went on the pill when I was thirteen.”

“Not helping!”

“Why?” she asks. “Because it’s true?”

“Because you’re...” Danny waves his hand at her, then spreads his arms to encompass all of Tani.

“Careful.” She puts her hands on her hip, gritting her teeth.

“You’re you! You’re not my Grace.”

“For your information,” Tani says, “I was on the pill for four years before I had sex. Periods are a bitch.”

“Oh, my god.” Danny sucks in a breath. “I will pay you to stop talking right now.”

Steve grabs Danny by the shoulders, steering him away from Tani. As much as she’s trying to help, she doesn’t know him, and her words are doing nothing to reassure Danny.

“Come on. Walk it off, Daniel.” Steve grabs the bag of malasadas, pushing Danny through the double doors. He hurries them out, knowing Lou and Junior are due back any minute. The further away Danny is from a breathing target the better.

Steve gets them some coffee, then drives them to Danny's spot—the lookout over Diamond Head. He figures it's the best spot for Danny to clear his head.

“You okay?” He passes the bag of pastries to Danny.

“No,” he says, but he doesn't mean it. “I mean, I knew this day was coming. Knew the day she was born. That's the burden of a father having a daughter, but things are changing so fast. It's like it happened overnight and I don't know what to do about it.”

“It did, didn't it?” Steve says because he feels it. He doesn't see Grace every day but when he does, the changes are noticeable, and the imprints of the photos Lou showed him have replaced the little girl with pigtails and smiles. He tries not to shudder every time he thinks about it, and he’s glad he took that small burden from Danny.

It's obvious Grace never told her dad about his botched attempt to speak with her or Steve would've heard about it. He should tell Danny, but he got away with half-truths that night, and as much as Danny didn't believe him, he didn't push too hard about what happened with Grace on the beach. It's purely selfish reasons why he doesn't tell Danny now. He'll only get pissed off that Steve kept it from him, and the last thing he wants is for Danny to think less of him. Every day he’s been building to his confession of love only to get cold feet. He wants Danny relaxed and open to possibilities, and maybe today might be the day to distract Danny from his misery by giving him something else to think about.

“She's going off to college next year,” Danny says, looking out to the ocean, “and then what am I going to do?”

“You’re going to do what every other parent in the world does.” He wants to reach out, pull Danny close, but he keeps his hands to himself.

“Just let her go?”

“Danny, you're an amazing dad. Gave up a lot to be with her, and that says everything. She’s a good kid.”

“Lately, not so much. You saw how she is…” Danny gives him a smile, and it goes straight to Steve's chest. It’s an ache where that part of him has been empty for years. “Her attitude is out of control.”

“Well, the moodiness aside, I suppose.” Steve laughs with Danny, because anything else is too much. This is worse timing than when he showed up on Danny's doorstep. He wants to tell him how he feels, it’s right there on the tip of his tongue, except he can’t bring himself to do it.

“I’m not ready for it,” Danny says, and for a panicked moment, Steve thinks he’s said something aloud. “Not ready to lose her, but with every day and every argument, I feel her slipping away.”

“She’ll come around. You raised her right. I had plenty of anger at her age, lashed out at a lot of people.”

“What does she have to be angry about?”

Steve can think of a lot of reasons, and Rachel is one of them. Her mother lied to her father about her brother and lied to her step-father, and now Grace is watching her mom go through another divorce. They’re not exactly easy truths to swallow about a parent. Steve was an adult when he discovered the truth about Doris, and it still wasn’t easy. Having the emotions and hormones of a teen and having to handle those truths? Steve can’t imagine, but he doesn’t say any of this to Danny. The last thing he would ever do is make Danny feel responsible for the hurt his daughter is going through.

“I’m sure if I called Clara and asked what you were like, she’d have some stories about you at Grace's age.”

“Let’s not go there.” Danny holds his hand up in warning. “The last thing I need is you to see my punk-ass Eminem phase.”

“Now I’m going to have to call her.” Steve nudges Danny’s shoulder leaving it there to rest against him. The warmth of Danny goes right through Steve, and even though they’ve spent countless hours like this, he’s never realized that Danny is a compact, burning ball of fuel. The heat pulls Steve in, making his body fully aware of him, maybe enough to give him the courage to go through with this.

“I just wish I knew what was going on in her head,” Danny says.

“She’ll be all right,” Steve says. “She’s just looking for a little freedom to spread her wings.”

“Spread her wings?” Danny huffs. “She’s flying away from me. What the hell am I going to do with my life once she goes?”

“You have Charlie,” Steve says, and then takes a deep breath. It’s now or never and Steve can’t live with himself if he chooses never. “And you have me, Danny.” His voice is soft and there's enough of a change in his tone that Danny looks his way. Their eyes meet, and Steve feels his face flush, the heat spreading down to his neck. Danny glances at Steve’s mouth, and he thinks this is it, the sign he’s been waiting for. He licks his lips in anticipation and Danny tracks the movement but then turns his gaze back to Steve’s eyes. He looks hard, searching for something Steve’s not sure he’ll find, but hopes he does.

“Rachel wants to give it another go.”

And just like that the moment is broken. It feels like he’s been punched. How can he stand in the way of Danny and his family? It’s all Danny has ever wanted and now Rachel is giving him a chance to be the perfect husband and father, to put their perfect life back together.

Steve turns back to the ocean, blinking back tears as he searches for his own answers. He nods his head a few times, like he’s trying to accept it, trying to move past it and be happy for Danny, except he can’t. He can’t stand by and watch Danny get hurt again, because Rachel and Danny aren’t perfect, not together. They’re a train wreck and Danny deserves better than what Rachel has to offer. He needs to know that someone loves him exactly for who he is without compromise.

“Don’t.” It’s out of Steve’s mouth before he’s thought it through and why stop there? Still looking at the horizon, he adds, “Don’t do it, Danny. Don’t give in to her. Don’t change for her.”

Danny is watching him, he can see from his peripheral that he’s staring, calculating his own response which will probably be along the lines of ‘mind your own fucking business.’ Steve expects it, braces for it because Danny has always been sensitive when it comes to Rachel. But when the whispered ‘Why?’ comes out of Danny’s mouth, it takes Steve a second to comprehend, and on instinct, he turns to Danny who seems just as flushed as Steve feels.

“Why, Steve?” Danny says, and this time it’s more forceful.

Steve hopes he's not reading this wrong, that the pink in Danny’s cheeks and on the tips of his ears means he still has a chance to put his bid in for Danny’s affections. He places his hand on Danny's neck, leans in, and gives him the briefest of kisses filled with promises and hope of more to come.

When he pulls back, Danny's eyes are closed like he’s not planning on opening them anytime soon, like he’s cataloging everything in the last eight years that led to this point. God knows Steve has done the same for months.

“Huh,” he says, opening one eye and then the other with the hint of a smile on his lips. “Is this some way to distract me from my homicidal mood?”

“No.” Steve chuckles. “And we'd be at the gun range for that kind of distraction.” Steve holds his breath waiting for Danny to let him down easily. He’s just happy he wasn’t punched or pushed off the cliff.

“I do like this spot.” Danny's wearing the goofy smile that makes him look years younger. “Memorable for a first kiss.”

The dread inside Steve disappears, and he can’t stop grinning.

“It is a spectacular view,” Steve says.

“Good for a second kiss, too.”

And this one is better than the first because Danny slips in some tongue and teeth until they're both left breathless, leaning their foreheads together.

“What about Rachel?” Steve asks.

“What about her?”

Steve doesn't need to say anything, he just leans back to look at Danny.

“Oh, you think because she's getting a divorce that I'll go running back to her when she bats her eyes at me?” Danny pokes at Steve's chest and he shrugs in response. “Steven, she lied to me. A damn big lie that I doubt I'll ever move past. That relationship is over and buried. So over, there are rusty nails in that coffin. No, no. She is the mother of my children. That is all.”

“You sure? Your family means everything to you...”

“Are you trying to talk us out of this already?”

“What? No!” Steve says, and the jolt has him grasping for the rock ledge. “I just want to make sure—”

“I’m sure. I kind of figured, well, accepted this was never going to happen with you.”

Steve's at a loss for words. He's always had good instincts, and he was right about Danny, but until this moment, to hear Danny admit it, he never knew just how deeply Steve was holding on to that hope and longing. They've been idiots or cowards, both seem appropriate for how long it's taken them to get here.

“How long we talking?” Steve asks.

“As long as you, apparently,” Danny says, pointing to Steve’s somewhat tented cargo pants. “Come on,” Danny grips Steve’s arm, “before you tumble to your death and the eight years of waiting were for nothing.”

“My place?” Steve hedges, swinging his legs over the ledge.

Danny sighs and stretches as he stands. “Is that your attempt at romance? I expect to be wined and dined if we’re doing this, McGarrett.”

Steve can’t believe it’s this easy, nothing with them is ever easy, except it is. Since the day they met they’ve been intertwined in each other’s lives, so why should it change because of kisses and sex? He pulls Danny against him just to make sure there’s no awkwardness. He’s solid underneath Steve’s hands, which he always knew that about Danny, every hug or touch they ever shared told Steve so, but unlike those other times, he can lean down so his mouth is an inch from Danny’s, close enough to breathe his air.

“Oh, we're doing this.” Steve tilts his hips forward and catches Danny’s gasp on his lips. Out of the thousands of ways Steve’s imagined this, an impromptu confession at the side of the road was not one of them.

They’re breathless as they pull apart. 

“I have no idea what’s gotten into you, or why you took this leap today of all days, but it’s about time.” Danny nods his head, his mouth set in firm line. “And I’ll take it. I’ll take anything you’re willing to give me.”

Steve looks down at his boots, clears his throat and throws it all out there because it’s been eight years and he knows Danny better than anyone, loves him more than anyone, and Danny should know it.

“I want it all,” he says, his voice low and full of intent. He feels Danny's hardness against his thigh, and all he can think about is how long it’s going to take him to get them home.

“In that case,” Danny chuckles, “I give you my blessing to get us back to your place any way you want—in one piece, I might add—and I’ll prove to you there are no second thoughts. I want this, too.”

The carte blanche on his driving is all Steve needs as affirmation of Danny’s feelings. He folds himself into the Camaro and starts the engine before Danny has the door shut and his seat-belt buckled. He shifts into drive and the tires peel off the pavement with a screeching sound that makes Danny laugh and grab for the handle above his head.

They’re halfway to Steve’s before the criminal element on the island thwarts their plans, though. Tani calls with news of the lead Lou and Junior were investigating. They have a break in the case of the gun runners, and the deal is happening tonight. Their wining and dining will have to wait.

As the call disconnects, Danny clears his throat and says, “I need to ask a favor."

“Anything.”

“Can we keep this between us for a little bit?”

“You think anyone will have a problem with it?”

“No. No, probably the opposite.” Danny squeezes Steve’s knee. “Grace isn’t in a good place, right now. We’re not good, her and I. I want her to know she has my full attention, you know?”

“I get it. Sure.” Steve understands, he does, he just wishes they could finally be open about things, but he gets it.

“I don't know what's going on with her,” Danny says. “She needs me even if she's doing her best to push me and her mother away. I don't want to give her a reason to think my love is divided.”

“Love?” Steve says, horribly hiding his surprise.

“Yeah, you idiot. You think I would've stuck around this long getting shot at if this wasn't love?”

“Love.”

“Yes. Love.” Danny smacks Steve's thigh. “I know it's a novel concept for you, but you should try it sometime.”

“Okay, smartass, I love lots of things,” Steve says. And recently he's come to realize that he loves Danny and his kids the most.

“And see, that's your problem, babe. People are not things.”

Steve scoffs, shaking his head. “Your ass is a thing and I love that. Your mouth, too, even though I shouldn’t the way you nag at me.”

“Keep that up and this ass and mouth that you love so much will make you wait another eight years.”

Steve reaches for Danny's hand, teasing aside. “We can keep this to ourselves, for now. I don't have a problem with it. I've kept bigger secrets. I'll follow your lead and let you call the shots on how you want to handle this.”

“But?”

“There's no but. You and your family mean everything to me, Danny. You make the call. We can wait to tell our friends and family when you think the time is right. We've waited this long, what’s a little more?”

He feels a bit of disappointment, but Danny’s love for his children is one of the things he admires most about him. He can’t fault him for wanting to protect Grace, it’s who Danny is. He just wishes this declaration was a little more spectacular. He’s not saying he wanted fireworks and headline news, but he’s waited what feels like a lifetime to be this happy, and he wants everyone around him to know it.

“It won't be forever,” Danny says. “I just need to make sure Grace is okay.”

“Of course, Danny.” He kisses the back of Danny’s hand.

“Okay, two hands on the wheel.” Danny pushes his hand away. “And would you slow down, you maniac?”


	4. Fall From Grace

**Fall From Grace**

* * *

“Don't feed him that!” Danny smacks the hand that's just fed Eddie some bacon.

“What?” Steve frowns, wiping his greasy fingers on a napkin. “It's our ritual. If I get bacon, he gets bacon. Isn't that right, buddy?” Eddie chuffs, licking his chops.

“He is a highly trained military asset, and you're turning him into an ordinary mutt with bad habits. Don't feed him from the table!” Danny hits Steve again when he reaches for another piece. “He's going to become just like you...a mooch.”

“Come on, Danny.” Steve leans back in his chair, smiling and taking everything in. They're having their first lazy morning together after closing a big case late last night, and Danny and Steve have taken full advantage of the extra hours with a slow fuck and a long shower, followed by a breakfast with bacon and bickering. It's all so domestic and Steve loves every second of it.

“Eddie’s had a hard life,” Steve says. “He's entitled to some rewards.” The dog wines at hearing his name.

“I don't disagree with that. All I'm saying is if you feed him from the table, he's going to expect it every time we sit down.” Danny pats Eddie's head. “And begging is not a good look for you...either of you.”

Eddie barks, like he understands Danny but disagrees.

“That's not what you said last night.” Steve leans forward, eyes hooded, knowing he's won this round because Danny fucks like he talks, with enthusiasm and diction, like Steve's body is his dictionary, and when it comes to Steve's body, Danny’s elocution is precise and expressive. It’s easy with Danny, like this addition of having sex is nothing new to their relationship. They've always been intimate, but now it feels complete, well, almost complete. There's still the little matter that they're hiding who and what they are.

Steve raises his eyebrows in invitation to take their conversation upstairs, but Danny's phone rings, interrupting them.

“The two of you are incorrigible,” he says, then changes his mind. “Actually, what you are is insatiable.” He holds Steve's gaze while reaching for his phone. “Detective Williams.” After a pause, Danny's sitting straight, alert and ready to go. “What do you mean she's not in class?”

Danny clears his dishes one-handed, listening to whomever is informing him his daughter is not where she’s supposed to be. Steve takes over for him, shoving him out of the way so he can focus and have some privacy if he needs it. He figures another cup of coffee is imminent if Danny is to get through this, so he makes another pot.

It’s been a few weeks since they started this thing between them, and true to his word, Steve has kept their secret. He’s given Danny time with his kids, letting him make the decision on when to tell them, and apart from that, everything is perfect. Things at work stay the same, they keep it professional, and if Danny happens to come to Steve’s a few more nights a week, or if Steve goes to Danny’s to have toe curling sex, no one seems to notice.

The coffee is ready when Danny comes back into the kitchen with the phone still to his ear.

“Grace, this is your father calling for the third time. The reason you ditched school better be because you're saving baby dolphins that washed up on the beach, or maybe you found some lost orphans that needed help. Whatever the reason, it better be as good as that or we're going to have a serious problem.” He sighs into the phone. “Call me. Please.”

Steve pours Danny a coffee, placing it in front of him because his head is still buried in his phone as his thumbs move frantically back and forth. He skirts by Danny on his way to the fridge, kissing Danny's temple as though they've been doing this for years.

“She ditched school, Steven. My baby has never skipped school and here she is throwing away her education, the one her mother and I have paid for dearly!”

“That’s a bit melodramatic, Danny. How many times did you ditch when you were her age?”

“I was not a good kid. My Grace...she's a good kid.”

“You're right, she is.” Steve pushes the mug toward him.

Danny mumbles his thanks, reaching for the coffee. “Will hasn't seen her or talked to her.”

“What about Rachel?”

“Can't get a hold of her. That's why the school called me.” Danny seems too calm to be worried if Grace and Rachel were actually missing. “She has her divorce proceedings. And Grace knows that which is why she picked today to become a delinquent.”

Steve pulls Danny against him, massaging the hard knots in his shoulders that have settled there since the call. Danny moans his approval but doesn’t waiver from his task of texting.

“I thought you had one of those tracker things on her phone,” he asks. “Kono put it on last year, remember?” Unless it's been uninstalled, it should still be there.

“I do,” Danny says, nodding, “but 'someone’ has hers turned off. Which is another golden rule she has broken. Her mother and I are supposed to know exactly where she is at all times.”

Steve makes a face, a pained one, knowing what kind of trouble Grace will be in once Danny finds her. He kisses Danny, quick and with a little disappointment that their morning was cut short.

“You think she's okay?” Steve asks, moving away before he can't help himself.

“I think she’s living the teenage dream.” Danny blows on his coffee before sipping it. “She better not be okay. She better be in some serious trouble or hurt to the point where her hands are inoperable because if she’s not, she will be.”

“You don't mean that.”

“No, I don't.” Danny sighs, leaning against the counter, head down in defeat. “I’m at the end of my rope with her, Steve. I don’t know what to do anymore.”

Steve’s never seen Danny this upset or frustrated with Grace. It wasn’t long ago that a missing Grace would drive Danny to his knees, make him do unmentionable things to get her back. This apathetic side of Danny’s concern for Grace’s safety is worrisome, makes him wonder what is really going on between them.

“Let me get Jerry on it,” Steve says. “We have everyone's phones cloned back at the office in the event of emergencies. Unless she’s taken out her battery, which no girl her age would do, we can track her.” He tilts Danny’s chin, kissing him soundly. He wants more but settles on a quick grope of Danny’s chest to tie him over until he can have a sane and undivided Danny in his arms. “We'll find her.”

Jerry’s intel lets them know she’s at the mall, somewhere in Pearlridge, which is so far out of her approved ‘hangout’ area that Danny has stopped speaking. Once inside, they split up to cover more ground. Danny takes the food court and Steve takes the area near the movie theater. He hopes he finds her first, if only to avoid a catastrophe in the middle of a crowded mall between a hot-headed father and like-minded daughter. Luck is on his side when he spots her with a group of kids just inside the glass doors to the theater. He doesn’t recognize any of the kids, but he doesn’t know her friends like Danny would. He texts Danny to let him know.

When Steve pushes through the door, the kids see him, and Grace’s reaction is to roll her eyes and shake her head as she mumbles something to the group. Luckily, Danny isn’t with him or her attitude would make it worse than this is. Steve adjusts his sidearm as he walks toward them. It’s a habit, he knows, one he uses for intimidation, but it doesn’t seem to influence Grace at all.

“Grace, let’s go,” he says, and one little punk has the nerve to puff his chest out like she needs protection from Steve. He’s got long stringy blond hair, a deep tan that means he spends more time at the beach than he does in school. He’s also wearing clothes that are too rich for the attitude he’s trying to pull off.

“Yo, G,” the kid says, and Steve hates him instantly which means Danny will probably murder him and hide his body. “Is this _the_ McG? Your Navy badass who keeps blowing up our island?”

“Excuse me?” Steve says, placing his hands on his hips.

“Flea, don't,” Grace says, grabbing the kid’s arm but he doesn’t budge. He smiles at Steve, smirks actually, and Steve could wipe it off with a quick flick of his hand, but he’ll save that for Danny.

“I’m sorry, your name is Flea?” Steve says, folding his arms over his chest, flexing his biceps. If this kid wants to see him blow something up, he’d be happy to oblige. By this time, from the look on Grace’s face, Danny has made his way to the doors.

“Fine. I’m coming. Just stop embarrassing me,” Grace says, pushing past Steve. He’s disappointed Danny doesn’t get the chance to meet this punk, but relieved for Grace that there won’t be an explosion of emotion in public.

The walk to the Camaro is icy despite the warm breeze. Danny leads the way with Grace about ten feet behind him. Steve stays further from her, wondering if he should call Lou to catch a ride, but then imagines Danny driving with this kind of bottled up emotion. Steve can do this for Danny, support him, and hopefully, protect Grace from his wrath, at least that’s what he tells himself when he slides into the driver's side, waiting for the diatribe to begin.

It doesn’t come, though. Danny just stares out the passenger window as Steve leaves the parking lot. Steve meets Grace’s eyes in the rearview mirror because even she can’t believe Danny hasn’t said a single word since they found her. They’re about halfway along the Freeway before Grace cracks.

“I’m sorry, okay?” Grace says. “I didn’t have anything going on at school, so when they asked me to go, I said yes.” She waits for Danny to respond, but he’s still staring out the window. Steve empathizes with her, wants to step in to ease things between them, but it’s best to be the driver and nothing more.

“It was no big deal,” Grace says. “It’s not like we were doing anything wrong. We were just hanging out.”

And it’s true. Steve did much worse things than ditching a few classes back in the day, and he knows Danny did, as well. He’s not sure why Danny is so hung up on this one incident, but he’s keeping his mouth shut for self-preservation.

Grace sits back with a huff, folding her arms. “You’re overreacting.”

Steve winces, knowing how much Danny hates it when he uses that word to describe his somewhat more volatile emotional reactions.

Danny hasn’t turned around in his seat, yet, so maybe there’s hope for Grace, but when he takes a deep breath, the anger and disappointment radiate off him. “I don't think I am, Grace. Do you think I'm overreacting, Steven?”

Danny has done exactly what Steve hoped he wouldn't. He’s put him front and center in their argument and no matter which way Steve’s loyalties lean, he's going to be the bad guy. So, he does the mature thing and mimes his mouth shut with a key and concentrates on the traffic ahead of him. Thankfully, Danny doesn't miss a beat.

“You are so grounded, young lady. You don't even know how grounded you are.”

“Then I'll stay with mom!”

“Do you think that makes a difference? Do you think your mother and I don't share the same rules when it comes to you? Do you think we don't talk?”

“Oh, believe me, I know you do.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” Danny asks.

“Forget it,” she says staring out the window.

“Did you honestly think we wouldn't find out?” Danny says. “You're a minor, Grace. The school calls when you miss a class and given your history and what I do for a living, they call immediately.”

“How did you find me?”

“Did you not just hear me? Have you forgotten what I do for a living? You can turn your tracking-app thingy off, but it doesn't mean we can't use 5-0 resources to find you.”

“Oh, my God, the two of you are literally the worst! I can’t believe you did that.”

“What did you expect when you wouldn’t answer my calls?” Danny’s voice is reaching that level where things are going to get much worse for Grace.

“You embarrassed me in front of my friends!” Grace says, and Steve cringes.

“Embarrass? You think that was embarrassing?” Danny says, and his hands have started to articulate his emotions. “Sweetheart, Grace, you have no idea how embarrassing I can get, but the two of us?” He points to himself and Steve. “Now that's a challenge we’re willing to accept. I’d be happy to show you how embarrassing this one can get.”

“Hey, leave me out if this,” Steve says.

“Then, why are you even here?” Grace snaps.

“Hey!” Danny says, and this time he does turn in his seat. “He’s here because I was working. Your stunt has pulled me away from my job. Show some respect.”

Steve wants to crawl into a hole or pull over and hitchhike back to the Palace. He'd rather be anywhere but in this car at this particular moment. Her words hit hard, and now he understands Danny's decision not to share their newly found relationship if this is how she thinks of him.

“Who were those kids?” Danny asks, barreling right through, facing forward again. “I didn't recognize any of them.”

“Just some friends,” she says.

“These friends have names?”

“Why?” She folds her arms. “So, you can run a background check on them?”

“I think maybe I will.” Grace huffs and turns to stare out the window. At least she's left her phone in her pocket, because Danny would likely grab it and chuck it out the window.

Steve exits the freeway and Grace speaks up, even though she knows the answer.

“Where are we going?”

“To your mom's house,” Danny says. “She's waiting for you.”

“So, you can decide my punishment... _together_?” The scorn is bitter and hard on her tongue.

“That’s a really good question, Grace.” Danny worries his bottom lip, taking a couple of breaths. It’s going to be good, whatever he says. “You know when your mom and I divorced? You said it was okay because it meant you would get two Christmas days? You thought it was the best thing ever because it meant twice the presents. Think of it like that. Your mother will determine what she thinks is fair and once I've calmed down, I will do the same.” Danny turns in his seat to face her, smiling. “Double the punishment. Double the fun.”

“That is so not the same thing. I hate you!”

“Yeah, yeah. I've heard that one a lot lately.”

Steve tries not to smile because apart from Grace’s declaration of hatred, watching Danny parent in a calm and rational way is quite entertaining. There was a long night a few years ago when Grace went to a party on the North Shore, and Steve remembers talking Danny off a ledge. Earlier today, he thought he’d have to do it again. He wants to reach out to Danny, put his hand on his leg, let him know he has his support. It’s the first time he’s wanted their relationship to be open and honest, and it’s the first time they’ve been tested and needed the support of each other. If he can’t stand in solidarity as a parent like Rachel will once he drops them off, then he wants to as a true partner. The thought of Rachel and Danny supporting each other, bonding over this, leaves a sinking feeling in his gut.

Steve pulls into the driveway of Rachel’s rental house. She must have heard the engine because the door opens before Steve shuts off the car.

“I'll be back later to finish this discussion, Grace,” Danny says, and it surprises both Steve and Grace.

“You're not coming in?” Grace asks.

“I have to work. You do remember how that school tuition gets paid, right?”

“Yeah, I don't need to be reminded just how important your job is.”

“Grace,” Steve says because the two of them aren't pulling any punches now. That one cuts right to the bone and when he glances Danny's way, he sees how her words have affected him.

Danny lets her out of the car, but before she walks away, he pulls her into a fierce hug and even though she struggles, he doesn't let her go. When he pulls back, he places a hand to her cheek.

“My daughter used to be sweet and kind. She had respect for her parents and the people in her life who care about her. She never told lies, and she knew she was loved more than anything in this world.” Danny rubs his thumb along her cheek. “I miss her.”

Steve can't see her face, but as she pulls away from Danny and runs toward the house, passing her mom without a glance, he doesn't need to. She’s a good kid with a good heart, and Danny’s words have done what he intended.

Rachel waves at them, following Grace inside, and as Danny closes the door to the Camaro, Steve feels the weight of the afternoon suffocating Danny.

“If you want to stay…” he offers.

Danny shakes his head. “I said what I needed to say—for now, at least. Grace doesn't need both of us yelling at her.”

“What can I do?”

“Nothing, babe.” He reaches for Steve's hand. “Maybe just this.”


	5. Saving Grace

**Saving Grace**

* * *

Steve is woken by the sound of his phone buzzing next to his ear. He’s fully awake before the second ring stops vibrating, and since it’s an unknown number, he answers with his full title.

“It’s him! It’s him!” He hears a deep bass from techno music in the background.

“Hello,” he says, but there’s nothing on the line other than the boom-boom and the sound of a large crowd. He’s on his feet, moving to the hallway so as not to disturb Danny. They had another long day and a late night, and the last thing he needs is a more than usual grumpy Danny in the morning.

“Are you still there?” A young girl asks.

“I’m here,” he says. “Whom am I speaking with?” He heads down the stairs to the kitchen for some water, Eddie trotting along behind him. He hears the exchange of the phone being passed to the next person and as he flips on the kitchen light, his heart stops for a fraction of a second when he hears a familiar voice.

“Uncle Steve?”

“Grace? Is that you?”

“Yeah,” she says, and he hears that she’s crying when she should be tucked away in her bed at Rachel’s safe and sound. It’s only been days since she was free of her two-week punishment from Rachel, and Danny’s is still ongoing.

“Where are you? What’s wrong?”

“I need you to come get me.”

“Where are you? Are you hurt?”

“You can’t tell my dad. Promise me, Uncle Steve. Promise you won’t.”

Steve can’t make that promise, but he knows how to negotiate, and telling her yes or no is not what she needs right now. He glances up at the landing hoping Danny isn’t awake.

“Are you hurt?” He holds his breath. Her answer will determine whether he’ll make that promise to her.

“No. I’m okay.”

He starts breathing again, wondering how the hell he’s going to manage this one.

“Tell me where you are, Grace. Is Will with you?”

“He’s not here. We broke up.” That’s news to Steve, and he’s sure Danny doesn’t know about the breakup, either.

“I don’t know where I am,” she says. “I’m at a party and I want to come home.”

“Okay. Are you with anyone who might know where you are? Ask someone. Stay on the line with me but find someone.” He gives Eddie the signal to stay, then takes the stairs two at a time with barely a whisper of a sound. He should wake Danny, he should, but Grace called him asking for his help and he can’t betray that trust, not yet, not until he knows she’s okay.

He slips into the bedroom, grabs his shirt and pants from the floor and slips out without Danny stirring. If he was awake, Steve would've handed him the phone, spilled everything because he can’t lie to Danny. But he’s sleeping, and since Danny has asked Steve to keep their relationship from his kids, Steve can at least keep his word to both Danny and Grace...until he can’t.

Through the phone, he hears someone yell, “Ewa!” He grabs his keys to the truck and is out the door before he confirms it with Grace. If she’s there, it’ll take him at least a half hour to get there. Luckily, it’s the middle of the night so there shouldn't be traffic.

“I’m at a house party in Ewa, near the beach,” she says as he’s pulling out of the driveway.

“I’m on my way, Grace. Stay on the phone with me, all right?”

“I can’t,” she cries, “he wants his phone back.” From the slur in her words, he can tell she’s intoxicated, and that throws another crux into this situation.

“Where’s your phone?”

“Left it at home.” Of course, she didn't bring it. As Danny’s part of her punishment, he confiscated her smartphone and replaced it with a basic flip phone. It was cruel but effective for a teenager. “Don’t tell my dad. You promised, Uncle Steve.”

“I didn’t promise, Gracie, and that will be between you and him, but we’ll talk about that when I get there, okay? Where do your parents think you are? How did you get there?”

“I have to go.”

“Grace! No, stay on the phone with me.” There’s nothing but bass he's hearing until a recognizable male voice comes on the line.

“ _Bye_ , Uncle Steve,” it says, mocking him and then there’s only silence as the call disconnects. He tries dialing the number back, but it goes straight to a generic voicemail.

Steve vows to find that little ‘Bug’ punk and show him just how scary he can be. He steps on the gas, heading onto the highway. His mind runs through all kinds of scenarios, and if this is what goes through Danny’s head every single day, it’s a wonder he lets Grace and Charlie leave the house. He’s white-knuckling the steering wheel when his phone rings again and curses when he sees the name.

“Hey,” Steve says, dodging a car.

“Everything all right?” Danny asks with sleep heavy in his voice. “Heard the truck leave.”

“Yeah.” Steve swallows, holding back the emotion in his voice. “Sorry, didn’t want to wake you. Something’s come up.”

“You okay, babe?” Danny knows he’s not being truthful, he hears it in those three words.

“I’m good. I’ll be fine. Go back to bed, Danny. I’ll fill you in when I’m home.”

There’s a long pause on the other end, but it’s the middle of the night, and Danny knows he’s not going to get much from Steve over the phone, so he sighs, relenting to Steve’s cryptic and sudden departure.

“Be careful,” Danny says, then hangs up.

He shouldn’t lie to Danny, not when it comes to Grace, but he can’t betray her when she reached out to him. If she can't trust Steve, who would she call? And he’d rather lie to Danny about this than risk Grace never having someone she can trust when she can’t call her parents. The first step is to have Grace safe in his protection, then they can deal with the fallout after he sees she’s unharmed. Because god help whoever she’s with if she isn’t okay.

When Steve gets near the vicinity of Ewa, he hears a call on the police scanner. Grace's party has made its way to the beach and caught the attention of HPD. He figures he has a few minutes to find her and get her out of there before Duke and the boys get there. The last thing Grace needs is a charge of underage drinking as well as a misdemeanor for trespassing on her record. If it comes to it, he'll pull his weight to protect her, but he doesn't want to put Duke in that position.

He shoves his way through the crowd of rowdy, drunk teenagers looking like the authority figure that he is. He towers over them, dodging red cups overflowing with draft beer from a few kegs that are being poured out of the back of a truck. A part of him hopes they all get charged. Parties on the beach like this are illegal for a reason. All around him he hears calls of 'narc!’ and 'cop!’ and if he didn't have his single objective in mind, he might stop to teach these kids a few lessons about respecting authority.

A kid stumbles into him, spilling a purple concoction on his shirt and he’s close to snapping, but then he spots Grace sitting on a cooler near the water. She's with some friends, all girls, thankfully, but she's laughing and engaged in conversation like she never called him crying to come home.

“Grace,” Steve says, hands on his hips, hovering over the girls.

She looks up with genuine surprise. Her eyes have trouble focusing on him. “Steve?”

“ _This_ is your Uncle Steve?” One of the girls he doesn't know asks and the others giggle. She’s holding a red cup full of beer and hasn’t even tried to hide it from him. She’s one of the girls in Grace’s photos, the one where she was wearing next to nothing. Steve pegs her as an instigator, and most likely the source of Grace’s rebellious streak.

“ _Rawr_!” says a girl next to Grace.

“Ew. He's like my dad.” Grace says and as much as he's touched hearing it, he's too angry and worried to appreciate it.

“Well, your dad is hot, too,” the troublemaker says, and the other two girls join in with their thoughts about her dad’s ass.

“Stop!” Grace shoves the girl’s shoulder, but she’s smiling along with them, forgetting that Steve is standing right in front of her.

“Grace.” Steve purses his lips, shifting his feet, trying not to drag her up by her arms and shake her for scaring him.

“What are you doing here?” Grace's words are slurred, and she's trying to hold it together like he doesn't know she's drunk.

“You called me to come get you.”

“I over-reacted. I'm fine. You can go.”

“Yeah, I doesn’t think so.” It's two in the morning and this sixteen-year-old girl is coming with him if he has to carry her over his shoulder. She’s going to have one hell of a hangover and she's going to face the music of her parents when he brings her back to the house, to Danny.

“Come on.” Steve makes a move to lift her from the cooler. “We’re leaving.”

“You can't take our Gracie.” One of the bleached blondes tries to stand but falls on her ass.

He hears sirens over the music down the beach. “Do you hear that?” Steve asks finger to his ear. “Sirens. The party’s over.”

The girls stop their cackling, listening for what Steve hears, and when the troublemaker does, she curses, tossing her cup as she scrambles to her feet. “This is your fault, Grace! My parents are going to kill me.”

“Don't worry,” Steve says, “I'll make sure they hear my side of the story.” He's had enough of all this. He should stick around to make sure no one drinks and drives, and that they get home safely, but he'll let Duke and his team take care of it. He grabs Grace by her arms, not rough, but not as gentle as he normally would. “Let's go.”

“Is Danno here?” She asks letting him lead her toward his truck.

“No.”

“Did you tell him?” There’s a hint of defiance in her words.

“Not yet.”

“But you're going to.”

“No.” He opens the door, waiting for her to climb in. “You are.” He helps her with the seat belt because the simple task of buckling seems to elude her. He shouldn't be angry, not like this, but she scared the shit out of him. He's afraid of what this means in terms of her relationship with Danny, with her parents. She lied to them, and then there’s the whole underage drinking and illegal activity thing as well.

“What were you thinking, Grace?”

“I'm sorry!” She says and starts to cry. They're unreasonable sobs for such a tiny girl but then the Williams' don’t do anything by half.

The blue lights are flashing down the beach, so even though he wants to pull her into his arms, he doesn’t. He shuts the door, takes a deep, centering breath before getting behind the wheel. He calls Duke and the call comes through the truck’s speakers, so he doesn't want to say too much.

“Steve,” Duke says, “what are you doing awake at this hour?”

“I'm on your six, Duke,” Steve says, and watches Duke turn with his phone to his ear and waves from a distant.

“Teenage parties are a little over your pay grade, Commander.”

“I’ve got Grace.”

Duke sighs and Steve doesn't need to say anything further. He had a teenage daughter once.

“There are more kids down at this end,” Steve says. “Make sure they get home.”

“Mahalo,” Duke says, and then adds, “Good luck.”

They ride in silence until Steve gets on the highway. He thinks about turning on the radio, but he's too angry to even break the silence.

Grace must be feeling the awkwardness because she apologizes under her breath.

He rubs at his face. “I know you are.” He lets that sit for a few minutes more.

“Thank you for calling me,” he says, but she looks like she doesn't believe him. “I'm serious, Grace. Thank you for trusting me.”

“I'm sorry,” she starts to tear up again, but it's more controlled this time. “I'm sorry for everything, for how I've been treating you. For being the way I am.”

“Hey,” he says, and his voice softens. “There’s nothing wrong with you, Grace.”

“I don't want to leave my friends. I don't want Danno to have to leave because of me. I don't want him to have to leave you.” The words are somewhat incoherent between her sobs and her slurs, but Steve hears most of it.

“What are you talking about? No one's leaving.”

She nods her head, then winces when she realizes it’s not a good idea. “I heard mom talking. She didn't know I was there, but she wants to leave the island and if she does, Danno will come with us.”

It’s the first he’s hearing about it, but then again, he’s not sure if Danny would tell him, not until the move was definitive. His chest feels heavy, crushing really, because it makes sense. With Rachel’s divorce, she has no reason to stay on the island.

“I want him to be happy,” she says. “I want you...” Grace’s words trail off with a hiccup. Her eyes are closed, and her mouth is open with her head tilted to the side, resting against the door. It looks like she’s fallen asleep. Steve chews the side of his lip thinking about how happy he’s been with Danny these past few weeks, and how happy Danny has been. He wants to tell her they _are_ happy, confess everything but he can't go back on his promise. The more he thinks about Rachel leaving, the more he realizes it’s probably why Danny didn’t want to tell the kids about them. If Danny follows them, and he will, he wouldn’t want them to know what he's leaving behind.

“I’m gonna be sick,” Grace says, putting her head between her legs and Steve sympathizes because he feels the same.

“Okay, Grace. Hold on. Let me pull over.” He parks the truck on the side of the road, throws the hazards on as he jumps out to run to the passenger door. Gently, he lifts her out and sits her on the grass just in time. She expels a good amount of liquid for her size. Holding her hair, he rubs soothing circles on her back while she heaves and heaves the alcohol out of her stomach, along with everything she's eaten this evening.

She’s crying again and talking, only her words are indecipherable now. He makes out names like Danno and Charlie and Will, and the bitterness of her mom’s name on her tongue.

“It’s okay,” he says, over and over. “You’re okay.” The heaves don’t stop, though, and it worries him. He looks at his phone checking their location and where the nearest hospital is. Grace is ice cold and shaking, so he wraps her up in his arms. There’s water and a blanket in the cab of the truck, but she's got a tight grip on him.

“Grace, I’m just going to get some water, okay? It’s in the truck.”

“Don’t go,” she cries, and his heart breaks in two. He feels his eyes fill with his own tears. “Please, Uncle Steve. Don't leave me.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” He smooths her hair down, placing his hand on the back of her neck. He wraps as much of himself around her until she stops shaking.

“Grace?” He nudges her but feels her go slack in his arms. “Grace. Wake up, Sweetie. Come on. Stay awake.” She doesn’t respond when he shakes her. Her breaths are slow, and her pulse is irregular to the point where he needs that hospital now. He lifts her into the passenger seat, pulls the blanket out of the back to wrap her up in it.

They’re about ten minutes from Queen’s Medical and he can half that if he puts on the lights.

The tires squeal and the gravel spins as he pulls away from the side of the road. He hits speed dial, then flips on the siren. He made a promise to Grace not to tell her dad, but as far as Steve is concerned, his promises to Danny come first. Danny’s children are his world, which means Steve will not jeopardize their safety for anything.

It rings two times before Danny answers, annoyed and pissed by the way he says, “What’s wrong?”

“Danny,” Steve says, dodging a car on the road, and another coming at him. “I need you to stay calm and listen to me.”

For all their posturing and arguing, Danny understands when Steve uses this tone of voice.

“What do you need?” Danny drops the facade and turns on his professional side, and as the sirens blare through the truck’s Bluetooth, he’ll know it’s serious.

“I need you to get in the car and drive to Queen’s—West in Ewa,” Steve says, and he knows Danny is going to ask what for, but he cuts him off. “Can you do that for me? Right now.” He hears the jingle of Danny’s keys and the slam of a door. Steve glances at Grace, who’s much too pale under the interior lights of the truck and the flashing blue lights in the dark. He debates whether to tell Danny it’s Grace, but he’s not sure if Danny can be subjective enough to drive knowing Steve is rushing her to the hospital. He decides against it, because the anger and the worry might cripple Danny and he has a long drive ahead of him.

“Are you hurt?” Danny asks as the Camaro engine roars to life.

“I’m fine,” Steve says. “Put the lights on and get here as soon as possible.”

“You need me to call the team?”

“No,” Steve says, barely above a whisper. “Just us, okay?” And that’s why he loves Danny, because Danny listens without objection, trusts him implicitly, blindly running into a situation he knows nothing about because Steve has asked him to. He just hopes Danny will forgive him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Amazing Grace**

* * *

Steve meets Danny at the hospital doors. He struts in with one hand in his pocket, the other twirling his keys, and even though his demeanor seems casual, there’s worry etched around Danny’s eyes.

“Danny.” It’s the only thing Steve says before his voice catches, but whether it’s his tone or the anguish he’s sure is reflecting in his expression, Danny knows without needing the words.

“What? What?” Danny’s face crumples and he bows his head. “No. No. No.”

“She’s okay,” Steve says, but Danny breaks away from the hold he has on his arms.

“Where is she?”

Steve races to catch up as Danny barrels down the hall, shouting his daughter’s name.

“Grace Williams! Where is she? Hello?” He taps on the intake desk. “Someone tell me where Grace Williams is.”

“Danny.” Steve grips his shoulder but regrets it when Danny turns with a clenched fist, raised like he’s going to hit him.

“Don’t.”

He’s seen that anger and contempt in Danny's eyes a few times, only it's never been directed toward him. Steve lifts his hand and takes a step back.

“I'm sorry,” Steve says. “She called me. Asked for my help.”

“You had no right! How could you keep this from me?”

“You're right, Danny. I should've told you. You should’ve come with me.”

“She is my daughter!” Danny says, his jaw tight and fists balled at his sides while he waits for Steve’s explanation.

“She was at a party. Had too much to drink,” he says, watching Danny chew his lip, holding onto his words to let Steve finish. “They had to pump her stomach, but she's okay. She's sleeping. She’s going to be okay.”

Danny rubs his hands over his face, buries himself behind them as he turns his back on Steve. By this time, security and a few nurses have gathered around them, called forth by the commotion they’ve created in the early hours of the morning.

“Detective Williams?” One of the brave nurses says, laying a gentle hand on Danny's arm.

“Where's my daughter?” Danny’s voice is tight, barely holding it together.

“I’ll take you,” she says. “She's sleeping right now.”

She smiles at Steve, and as he takes a step to follow, Danny holds up a hand. “No. You’ve done enough. You can leave.” He walks away without another glance Steve’s way.

He wishes he could do this night over from the moment Grace called. He thought he was doing the right thing, but clearly, he has no idea what a parent goes through, and he had no right to make decisions for Danny.

He sticks around the waiting room even though Danny told him to leave. He can't imagine being anywhere else, and while he sits, bouncing his leg, watching the hands on the clock tick by, Rachel turns up looking harried with a sleeping Charlie in her arms.

“Steven,” she says, and her expression softens with relief when he tells her Grace will be fine. He takes Charlie from her arms, and the little guy doesn't stir as she willingly passes him over.

“Danny's with her.” He glances at Charlie’s innocent face asleep in his arms and his guilt resurfaces. “Rachel, I'm sorry,” he says and it's all he can offer.

“Whatever for?” Rachel says, resting her hand on his forearm. He’s never warmed to her, but she’s always been kind and respectful toward him, more than he is to her.

“I should've let you and Danny handle this,” he says. “I should've told him.”

“But she called you. And I can't tell you how grateful I am for that. For whatever it's worth, she trusts you as much as she loves you. Which at the moment is more than I can say for how she feels about her parents.”

“But Danny—”

“Is scared—we both are, but if she hadn't called you…” she trails off as her tears come forth. He shifts Charlie and pulls her close in the best one arm hug he can manage, hoping it offers some comfort.

“Daniel is lucky to have you, Commander.” She sniffs, pulling back to place a hand on his cheek. “We all are. Once his temper cools down, he’ll come around.”

“Mrs. Williams?” The nurse from earlier interrupts them. “Your husband asked me to find you.”

“Oh, yes. Of course.” Rachel wipes her cheeks and glances to Charlie and then to Steve.

“I've got him. Go.”

“Thank you,” she says, then drops a kiss to Charlie's head.

It doesn't slip Steve's notice that Rachel didn't correct the misuse of her married name. He can’t deny the exchange didn’t sting. If history repeats itself, Rachel and Danny have always found each other through crisis, and this is one hell of an upheaval. If what Grace overheard is correct, and it more than likely is, because Rachel doesn't have much to keep her here, so she'll want to leave the Island, which means Danny will, too. And Steve knows Danny would have thought of all this the moment Rachel told him about the divorce. Danny wouldn't let his assumptions fester; he would've confronted her about her intentions. Steve has no doubt they've had that conversation, along with many others, like Rachel wanting to give their marriage another try. Danny’s concern is for his family, and if he’s leaving the Island, it would be easy to fall into that relationship with Rachel and there's nothing Steve can do to stop it from happening.

He chews on this information, worrying at the corner of his lip until Charlie begins to stir in his arms.

“Hey, Charlie, it’s okay. It’s Uncle Steve.” He brushes his hand over Charlie’s head.

“Where’s my mom?”

He hushes a sleepy Charlie. “It’s okay, you’re okay. Let’s go find her, huh?”

He’ll find Rachel and then he’ll leave. That’s what he tells himself as he walks down the hall toward Grace’s room. He peeks into the doorway and then takes a step back when he sees Danny with his arm around Rachel. They’re sitting next to Grace’s bed, both leaning forward to hold Grace’s hand while she sleeps. He doesn’t want to interrupt, so he turns to leave, only he’s not quick enough.

“Mommy,” Charlie says, stopping Steve in his tracks.

Rachel is out of her chair, reaching for Charlie, leaving Steve empty-handed and awkward, feeling like an intruder.

“What’s wrong with Grace?” Charlie asks, burying his head into Rachel’s shoulder.

“She wasn’t feeling well. She’s here to get better,” Rachel says, smoothing his hair.

Steve stares at the floor, wondering how Grace is doing, but he doesn’t want to ask, can’t bring himself to say anything. There’s a lump in his throat that burns, it tastes bitter and full of reluctance, but it’s the silence in the room that hurts the most.

“Oh, dear, lord.” Rachel huffs. “How about we find you some juice, Charlie?” She reaches for Steve’s arm, squeezing it harder than Steve thought she was capable of. She glances from Steve to Danny, eyes narrowed. “Daniel, be the adult I know you’ve grown to become.” She takes Charlie from the room, and when the door shuts, it’s with a click that seems louder than a gunshot.

Steve stays rooted to his spot, wondering what the hell he should do next, waiting for Danny to start the conversation. His concern for Grace outweighs everything else, though, so he clears his throat and asks how she is.

Danny takes a breath, avoiding his eyes. “She’ll be okay. One hell of a hangover when she wakes up, but she’ll be fine.”

“Danny,” Steve starts, because for all he knows from how Danny is acting, he thinks Steve is the one who supplied her with the alcohol. He may have gained Grace’s trust, but he’s lost Danny’s. “I didn’t know she was drinking to that extent. She asked me to come get her, so I went. I’m sorry, I should’ve woken you.”

“You’re damn right you should have.” Danny stands, rubbing a hand over his face and Steve hangs his head, bracing for what’s coming. “What were you thinking? What was running through that thick skull of yours? Huh? You think what we have between us gives you the right to make decisions about her life?”

Grace’s eyes flutter, but Danny is too wrapped up in yelling at him to notice.

“That is not your call, you control freak!” Danny continues. “You can’t control this like you think you can control everything else in our lives.”

“Danno.” Grace's voice is thick from sleep and probably from the tube they shoved down her throat, but it stops Danny from berating Steve.

“Hey, hey,” Danny says, rushing to her side.

“Don’t be mad at Steve.”

Danny sits on the edge of the bed, smoothing the hair off her forehead before kissing her. “Grace, you scared us.”

“I’m sorry.” She tears up and Danny pulls her into his arms.

“You’re okay.” He soothes her, rocking with her as she sniffles into his arms, telling him how much everything hurts and how much she messed up.

“I’m sorry about everything,” she says between a hiccup. “The way I’ve been acting, the drinking, the photos.”

“What photos?”

Steve holds back his cringe. This is not how he wanted Danny to find out, except it’s out now, so the only thing to do is confess, which they do together, and Steve watches Danny’s expression grow more somber and sour as Grace tells him about the photos she was posting.

Danny looks at Steve over the top of her head. “Look,” Danny says to him, lowering his voice. “Thank you for being there...or here. I’m glad she trusted you enough to call you. But that is all you get. That’s the person you get to be in her life, because it’s obvious I can’t trust you for anything else. I can’t see past all of this right now, going behind my back and lying—”

“I never lied,” Steve says, because he hasn’t. He was only trying to do right by the both of them.

Danny bites his lip, holding back what he doesn’t want to say in front of his daughter. He points at the door. “You need to Leave. Right now.”

“It’s not his fault,” Grace says, breaking free of Danny’s arms. “I made him promise. He did everything right.”

“I’m sure you think so, Grace, and we can talk about all of this later, but right now you need your sleep.”

“Don’t go, Uncle Steve,” Grace says, reaching her hand out to him.

“Grace,” Danny warns.

“I’ll always be here for you, sweetheart,” Steve says, “but I think Danno is right. You need your sleep, and I should head home to do the same.”

“No! This is not what’s supposed to happen.” Grace struggles to sit up, careless of the needle in her hand that’s been feeding her body with fluids.

“Hey. Hey. Easy, Grace.” Danny helps her with the tube, adjusting her pillows so she can rest against them.

“I don’t want to leave.”

“What are you talking about?” He asks.

“I don’t want to move away. Now that mom and Step-Stan are divorced, she’ll leave, and I don’t want to go.”

“No one’s going anywhere, Grace.”

“I heard her talking. She wants to leave the Island and if she goes, that means you’ll have to go, too, and you can’t leave Uncle Steve.” Her voice hitches and tears well up in her eyes. “Everyone left. Max, Auntie Kono, Uncle Chin and Sarah. It’s only a matter of time before Uncle Adam goes, too. And if we go, there’s no one left. He’ll be all alone. What if he gets sick? Who will take care of him?” Steve’s heart shatters. How can a kid have so much insight into things that have plagued him his whole life? He’s never allowed anyone to get close to him. There’s always a risk that he’ll have to leave or they will, so he’s kept everyone at a safe distance, but not Danny, not his kids. They barrelled right through his **defenses** from day one, and Steve has no protection if they leave him.

“Grace.” Danny sighs. “Your mother isn’t going anywhere.”

“She is!”

“No,” he chuckles, “she's not.”

“She’s not?” Steve says around the lump in his throat, and when Danny rolls his eyes at him, as if to say, ‘You, too?’, Steve smiles for the first time tonight.

“But I heard her,” Grace says.

“She’s not. Okay? She wanted to, and we talked extensively about it, but she’s agreed to stay here so you can graduate, and stay until your brother is older, much older, and can contribute to his own decisions. We agreed Oahu is a good place for you two to grow up.”

Steve bows his head, breathing heavily, and it’s the sound of relief that comes forth, something he wasn’t aware he was bottling. The threat of Danny leaving has been in the back of Steve’s mind since the day he said Rachel's second marriage was ending.

“No one is going anywhere,” Danny says, but this is directed toward Steve.

The tears sting a little, and he keeps his head lowered so neither of them sees.

“Why didn’t you just talk to me? Ask me?” Danny asks, and for a moment Steve thinks he’s talking to him, and maybe he is, but he's looking at Grace.

“I don’t know,” she says, picking at the blue blanket. “I thought if I could get you angry, you wouldn’t want to come with us, that you wouldn’t have to give up your life again like you did when we moved here.”

“Grace, you are my life. You think if you got me angry enough, I’d give up on you?” Danny snorts, shaking his head. “That is the most asinine, ignorant thing you have ever said to me. And here I thought you were a smart girl.” The smile Danny gives Steve makes him believe that they’ll get past this, because it’s the same goofy one he reserves for him when he thinks Steve has gone mad and the world along with him.

“Do you understand how much I love you?” Danny runs his hand along her back, and then kisses her forehead. “You are worthy of my love because you breathe. It’s as simple as that and nothing you do will ever change that.” Steve feels the weight of his words, like they’re directed toward him, too. They haven’t discussed the kind of commitment they’re willing to make to each other, just been spending their days together, and part of the reason for that, Steve thinks, is that they haven’t been open and honest with their friends and family. He hasn’t doubted Danny’s love or affection, but it would be set his heart at ease to hear it.

“But that’s why I did it,” Grace says, looking from Steve to Danny. “I knew you'd go wherever we went. I want you to be happy, Danno. I don’t want you to leave. You’re supposed to be together except you can’t see it. Everyone thinks so.”

“Oh, Grace.” Danny turns away from the bed, placing his hands on his hips. He makes a sound that is painful and raw.

Steve wants to pull him into his arms, but he stops himself because he's not sure if it’ll be welcome, and he wouldn’t keep the touch restrained.

Danny laughs into his hands. “And here I thought I was protecting you,” he says with his back to them. Grace shares a look with Steve. Her eyes are hopeful, but she's confused.

Danny begins to ramble. “I thought I was doing the right thing. She thought she was doing the right thing. He thought he was…” He’s not really talking to them, waving his hands like he's putting it out to the universe. “I was protecting her, she was protecting me, and you,” Danny laughs again, and then points at Steve, “you were trying to keep promises, trying to protect the both of us.”

Steve takes a tentative step toward him. He can see the guilt in Danny's expressive eyes, the doubt as well, and Steve wants to hold him, reassure him that none of this is his fault. Danny did what he thought was best for all of them.

“I owe you both an apology,” Danny says, reaching for Steve's hand. It's the first time they've held hands in front of anyone. He’s aware of Danny’s palm sliding into his own, smaller, with a slight chill on his fingertips brushing across the back of his hand. It feels foreign, yet natural, like they haven't been keeping their relationship a secret for months.

“I've been lying to you, too, Grace,” Danny says. “And I'm sorry. And I'm sorry for making Steve keep our secret.”

“What secret?”

“Steve and I are...” Danny raises their joined hands to convey what he can't in words. “We’ve been...”

“You are?” Her face lights up and it’s impossible not to smile with her.

“We are,” Steve says. “I love your dad, Grace. Have for a long time.” They've not said it aloud to one another, not in this context, it's been implied rather than the words said, and despite Danny's anger with him right now, Steve's known Danny's love these past few months.

“I love you and Charlie, too,” Steve adds. “Always will. No matter what.” He leans down to kiss her forehead and before he can move away, she throws her arms around him, holding him tight.

“I love you, too,” Grace says, and Steve feels the prickle of tears again. When they pull apart, both their eyes are shining, and their smiles are wide.

“How long?” Grace asks, wiping her tears. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Danny settles on the edge of her bed, pulling Steve with him. “I should have, Grace, but you and I weren't in a good place. I didn't want you to think you weren't my priority.”

“But I love Steve.”

“So do I, Monkey.”

“Really?” She squeals, her feet bouncing on the hospital bed. “You're boyfriend and boyfriend and we're not leaving the Island?”

Steve's not sure he likes the ‘boyfriend’ label. It seems less than what they are, but he understands that to a sixteen-year-old girl, it's a very big deal.

“Are you moving in together?”

Steve stutters, but Danny is there to answer. “Eventually. We need to get some things sorted out first.”

“Please don’t be mad at him, Danno. Steve did everything right. I asked him not to tell you. He did it for me. And kids are supposed to make mistakes, right? And believe me, I learned my lesson.” She pats her stomach, groaning.

“Yeah, well, we’re going to talk about that, too. You are so very grounded, young lady,” Danny says. “Steve grew up in the Navy. He’s going to come up with some very creative punishments.”

“First off, that kid you call Bug,” Steve says, folding his arms. They have a lot to share with Danny, but he'll start there.

“Who?” Danny asks.

“His name is Flea,” Grace rolls his eyes, “and don’t worry, I crushed him like the bug he is.”

“That’s my girl.” Steve holds out a fist for her to bump.

Danny looks at him with betrayal in his eyes, and Steve knows this conversation is far from over despite the ease in the room. He's going to have a lot of explaining and groveling to do, lots of groveling until Danny can trust him with Grace again.

“What about Will?” Danny asks.

Steve mimes for Danny to stop talking, mouthing they broke up.

“Oh, we are so talking about all of this later,” Danny says. “But I need all of us to make a promise. No more secrets, okay? Not from me, not Steve, and not from you, Grace. Can we do that?” He places their hands together, resting just above Grace's stomach.

They make the pact and settle into an easier conversation, at least until the topic of Will comes up again and Grace gets melancholy. When she's cried her tears, the two assure her that Will is made of stronger stuff, and if he's anything like his father, he'll forgive her.

When Grace's eyes begin to droop from exhaustion, they leave her to sleep and slip out to get a coffee. As soon as they're out in the hallway, Steve reaches for Danny’s hand.

“I'm sorry, Danny,” Steve says, “I handled this wrong. I never meant—”

“Just stop, all right? I get why you did what you did. I was angry and scared—Rachel was very clear how obtuse I was being. I'm glad you were there for her. Thank you.”

He pulls Steve into his arms, leaning up for a kiss. Steve doesn't look to see who's in the hallway, he just kisses Danny with all the apologies he's been holding onto for the last few hours. He's a fool for thinking Danny would get back with Rachel, not with how Danny holds him, how he kisses him with the same tenderness he has been for weeks. What they have is real, and it has been for a very long time.

“I really am sorry,” Steve says. “I overstepped, and it won't happen again.”

“Don't think you're getting off that easily.” Danny chuckles. “We have hours of talking ahead of us.”

“Whatever you want, Danny. I'll do it.”

“You want to be involved in Grace's life?” He asks and Steve nods. It's what he's always wanted, to be engulfed in the Williams family circle, ever since Danny introduced him to Grace. With her smiling face and the ease in which she accepted him, so much like her dad, he fell hard from that moment. The way Danny looks at his kids, looks at Steve, the way he looks at the people he loves, it's filled with hope and promises that he will love them unconditionally and with his whole entirety. Steve wants to be that kind of person, and he will with Grace and Charlie if Danny gives him the chance—whatever it takes.   

“I wasn't kidding about the punishment thing,” Danny says. “The worst part, well, the hardest part about being a parent?” He smiles. “Is doling out the punishments. You're going to do that with Grace, and the punishment needs to fit the crime.”

“Come on, Danny,” Steve says, horrified, because that goes against what he’s just promised himself. If he's not hard enough on Grace, Danny will think he isn't ready, and if he's too hard, she’ll resent him. “It's Grace. I can't do that. Anything but that. You know I can’t.”

“Oh, you will. Because if we’re doing this,” he gestures between them, “we’re doing _all_ of it, including my kids. You’re going to know the joy and pain of being a parent.” Danny pokes him in the chest, then heads down the hall with a light gait in his step. “I have high expectations, Steven!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who read this, and especially those who wrote lovely messages to keep me going.  
> This was a nugget of an idea that came from [bookjunkie1975](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookjunkie1975/pseuds/bookjunkie1975) and [rameau](http://archiveofourown.org/users/rameau/pseuds/rameau). Thank you. xoxo


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